War and Peace in the Middle East – and why Israel has already lost

A long-standing local conflict that seemed to be somewhat contained suddenly erupts into a major global flashpoint and threatens to engulf the whole region in a spiral of violence and death. Most likely, Israel will in the coming days and weeks use such brutal force that it might well be able to claim some sort of victory. Over the long term, though, and regardless of what happens now, Israel has already lost.